[inter spem et metum / between hope and fear]

If it was one thing Tessa loved about her mother, it was her ability to be understanding of nearly everything. So when Tessa and her friends headed into the house and piled around the kitchen table with Capri-Suns and Doritos as they recounted their quest, all her mother did was smile sympathetically.

"You five must have had one big day." She nodded. "You're free to stay here as long as you like."

"Thank you, Ms. Brennan," Mark said, stifling a yawn. "Would we be able to freshen up too?"

"Of course!" Ms. Brennan exclaimed. "You all do whatever you need to do. Let me know if you need anything." She glanced back to Tessa, and a sadness filled her eyes.

Tessa bit her lip. "You guys go on upstairs, I'll be up in a bit." 

Her friends glanced at Tessa and her mother before getting the message. They got up from their seats and headed down the hall, climbing the stairs to find the guest rooms and bathroom.

"Tessa, I've been so worried," Tessa's mother said at last. Her voice sounded fragile, like it was on the verge of breaking. "I know that staying at camp is the only way to keep you safe, but after three years, I didn't know what to think." She pressed a fist up to her lips to keep from crying.

Tessa took a deep breath and managed a weak smile. "Mom, I'm fine," she said, reaching across the table to cover her mother's hand with her own. "You don't have to worry."

Except for the fact that I'm about to face my worst fear and possibly die, but no biggie. Tessa forced the thought away from her mind.

Tessa's mom blinked away her tears. "I know, I know." She laughed weakly. "But I'm your mother, worrying comes with the territory."

Tessa actually managed a laugh. She leaned back in her chair, a proud smirk lacing her lips. "If I can take down a Hydra single-handedly outside Union Station in under five minutes, you don't have anything to worry about."

Even as confident as Tessa was, her mother was able to see through it. She gave Tessa a knowing look, a mischievous look in her hazel eyes.

Tessa's smirk melted. "Alright, I had help from my friends."

Another look.

"Alright, without them I wouldn't have been able to destroy it for good."

"That's better." Tessa's mom smiled. She looked up at the ceiling, and back at Tessa. "They seem like wonderful kids, dear."

Tessa opened her mouth to concur but from upstairs, the shower began to run and judging from the sound of Mark yelling in Ancient Greek, it was either too hot or too cold. She burst into laughter, running a hand through her hair.

"Wonderful friends, but slightly inept at things from time to time. I should go help Mark before he complains about it later," She stood from her seat, crossing over to her mother's side. She leant down and wrapped her mother in a tight embrace. "Thank you, mom."

"Anytime, Tessa, that's what I'm here for." She pulled away and smiled.

Tessa smiled back, although it felt like anticipation of something going horribly wrong had embodied itself and was breathing down her neck. Images of what the fire at camp had showed her at camp rushed to her mind. She forced the images away, leaving the table and heading upstairs. This was a grace period, and her petty fears were not going to destroy that.

~~

Tessa found it weird to be sleeping in her old bed. She'd only grown a few inches from when she was thirteen, but she still fit in it nonetheless. The golden comforter was still as itchy and obnoxious as she remembered it to be, and her old stuffed rabbit found itself tucked under Tessa's arm once more. Only this time, in her free hand, Tempest resided in pin form.

She only slept for a few hours, staring up and around her room for a good half of the night. Nothing about her room had changed, and yet Tessa felt like the life that belonged to it had happened a lifetime ago.

It was weird to try and think of how her life might have ended up if she had lived her whole life as a mortal. She would have been starting eighth grade that summer, starting junior year of high school in this one if she didn't attend camp year-round. She would have spent her summers reading and writing, as she always loved to do, rather than practice swordplay and archery. Her biggest worries would be what to do about a boy she liked rather than worry about what nasty way she would end up going to Elysium after.

When Tessa woke up, she found it to be about an hour before the sun officially rose. Just like old times, the sun shone through her curtains, waking her up. She got up, stretched, and pulled on her outfit. In a few minutes flat, she had crept downstairs after getting ready for whatever was in store for her that day.

What she didn't expect was to find her friends lounging in the living room, plates of food in their hands. Kaden was flipping through the TV channels, mid argument with Mark over what to watch at nearly five in the morning. Reese was nowhere to be seen, but Dale was using her mother's laptop, squinting at the screen intently with a glass of orange juice in her hand.

Dale looked up from the laptop. waving her fingers at Tessa in a sort of wave. "Good morning! How'd you sleep?"

Tessa blinked. They were more at home than she was. "Oh, y'know, just grand." She glanced over at the kitchen, finding a buffet of breakfast foods set up. "What's all this?"

"Oh, Tessa, your mom's the best!" Mark said after swallowing his bite of muffin. "She made us breakfast when we were all asleep."

Tessa wandered over to the island, grabbing a bagel. "I can see that," she muttered. "Mom strikes again. Where is she?"

Kaden headed beside her, grabbing the bottle of juice and filling up his glass. "She went to go grab some more juice, I think. Cooking took a lot, but she had some help," He winked at Tessa.

She knit her eyebrows together before realization dawned upon her. "You didn't."

"Oh, but I did." Kaden smirked, taking a sip from his glass.

Mark sauntered in beside them, slapping some more bacon down onto his plate. "Masterchef over here hardly slept, so he helped your mom out with cooking breakfast."

Tessa sighed. "What am I gonna do with you, Gray?" 

"Bet he could give you some options," Mark said from behind his cup of coffee.

Tessa and Kaden locked eyes before reaching over in synchronization, walking the son of Iris between them.

"Ow! Okay, jeez, easy on the violence. We're supposed to be a team, y'know?" Mark groused.

"He's right," Reese called. The son of Apollo closed the back door behind him, a bright look on his face.

Tessa made a face. "Where were you?" She nodded at the blond boy.

Reese grinned. "Getting us a ride. He'll be here soon." He glanced at the island. "Ooh, bagels."

Dale got up from the couch, sensing the makeshift meeting. "I have good news!" She announced eagerly. She stopped on the opposite side of the island, next to Reese. "So I checked the news online and Phobos has been at it again. A group of hikers reported seeing a sketchy man on their hike. One of them went to go talk to him, but the man disappeared as the hiker began to start screaming."

"Nice guy," Kaden noted. "Where was this?"

"Redwood National Forest, California," Dale reported.

"Fabulous, but how are we going to get to California from Illinois? That's nearly 2000 miles to cross," Tessa said, running a hand through her hair.

The sound of the front door opening and closing gave Tessa relief. Soon enough, her mother paced into the kitchen, Wal-Mart bags in hand. "I've got more juice." She smiled.

"Ms. B, you rock!" Mark surged forward and helped with the bags, Reese and Kaden at his side. The boys brought the food to the table and began to set it out on the counter.

Ms. Brennan walked over to Tessa and Dale. "Did you girls sleep well?" She asked.

"Yep, mom, can I talk to you?" Tessa said quickly. She grabbed her mother's arm and led her over into the next room.

Ms. Brennan smiled, a kind look in her eyes. "Did you like breakfast? You know, that nice boy Kaden helped me out with it. I like him, he's a sweet kid." She glanced at Tessa in a sort of suggestive manner that only mothers could give their daughters when a boy was involved.

Tessa blinked. "Mom, stop, oh my gods." She forced away the blush. "I need to talk to you about something serious."

Ms. Brennan knit her eyebrows together, the same look on her face that Tessa would get when she did the same thing. "What's wrong, Tessa?"

Tessa chewed on her lip. "Well..." She started. Before she knew it, the dam broke. She told her mother about what the fire showed her at camp, her house flanked by monsters. Once she finished her grievances, her mother only sighed.

"I wasn't going to bring it up," she said in a soft voice.

"What, so it's true?" Tessa's heart pounded in her chest. "Mom, why didn't you tell me?!"

Her mother looked up sternly. "Because nothing came out of it. Every now and then, something would stand in the yard and look up at the house. After a while, it would leave. Besides, Tessa, I'm a strong woman. Nothing would get to me without a fight first."

So many questions soared through Tessa's mind with surprising speed, ramming into one another at an alarming rate. A migraine was blooming from it, but she forced herself to stay focused.

"Mom, did you stop to realize that maybe these things were looking for me? And now that I'm here, they might come back?" Tessa said with absolute dread, her sea-green eyes filled with worry.

Suddenly, a tremor radiated through the house, as if a small earthquake had begun in the near distance. Tessa jumped, cursing under her breath. She ran into the kitchen and found her friends sprinting from the room.

"Now's our cue to leave!" Mark yelled, swinging his backpack over his shoulder.

Tessa hurried to the back door and froze at what she saw.

There, at the edge of the yard, stood a vanguard of monsters. Tessa spotted hellhounds, dracenae, and manticores in the mix. Her heart stopped as she realized with a horrible feeling in her gut that she had been right; they had been waiting for her.

Tessa's mother rushed in. She grabbed one of the bags on the table and pushed it into Tessa's arms. "Kids, listen to me. Go upstairs into the master bedroom. The window facing the east is an emergency window, it'll open up onto the roof. Get out, and run."

A flare of light emanated in the backyard, causing the monsters to retreat a little farther into the small field behind the house.

"What was that?" Dale asked in astonishment, her eyes wide.

"Our ride," Reese declared, an awkward flush on his tan skin. "We should go."

Tessa tried to protest. Her eyes filled with tears as she looked back to her mother. "Mom, you can't—"

"Tessa, we don't have time. Go! I love you, okay? Never forget that." She leant forward and kissed Tessa's forehead.

Tessa couldn't move. She was petrified in place, on the verge of tears. Another flare of light was released outside, causing the monsters to retreat. Tessa only looked back to her mother, who was rummaging through a cabinet.

"Tessa, come on!" Kaden grabbed her hand and the demigods fled down the hall. Tessa protested and fought but she couldn't get out of Kaden's grip.

They made it up the stairs and into the master bedroom. Tears slipped down Tessa's cheeks as they busted the emergency window open, Dale clambering out.

"Come on, ladies first, Brennan!" Mark reached out to her, a pleading look in his almond eyes.

Despite it all, Tessa pressed her lips into a thin line and took Mark's hand. She climbed out the window onto the roof. The boys followed, and they scampered across the roof, dropping down onto the ground below.

A sound like breaking glass broke the air and Tessa choked out a sob. Kaden was holding her hand again, trying to lead her along but she was frozen.

Barks, roars, and horrible things erupted from her house and if it weren't for her friends holding her back, Tessa would have burst in there to save her mother.

"Tessa, we need to go!" Dale urged.

"My mom—" Tessa choked.

"She'll be okay! But Tessa, we won't be if we don't move!" Kaden said quickly. His voice had the lacy quality again, and yet again, Tessa wanted to slap the son of Aphrodite for using charmspeak on her. However, she began to run alongside them, taking off down the sidewalk.

Even when the sound of an explosion erupted from behind them, Tessa kept running despite the aching pain in her heart and the tears streaming down her face.